Batting

Game One – Tufts University 8, MIT 0 (Five Innings)
Game Two – Tufts University 7, MIT 3

- Records: MIT (20-6); Tufts University (16-11)

- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Briggs Field)

- The Lead: The MIT softball team dropped both ends of a non-conference doubleheader to Tufts University on Wednesday afternoon at Briggs Field. The Jumbos claimed game one by an 8-0 score and then went on to win the nightcap by a 7-3 final.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Game One

- Tufts jumped out to an early lead by scoring four runs in the top of the very first inning. After back-to-back singles and a walk, Jamie Stevens drove in two on a single down the right field line for the 2-0 advantage and was followed by Raven Fournier, who scored on a wild pitch and Stevens, who crossed the plate on an RBI to left by Raina Galbiati.

- The Jumbos added single runs in the second and the fourth before using an RBI single and a sacrifice fly for two more in the fifth inning for the 8-0 score. MIT tried to get the bats going, but Galbiati allowed just one hit and set down the final five batters she faced to secure the 8-0 victory for the visiting Jumbos.

- MIT freshman Sarah Von Ahn (West Linn, Ore.) broke up Galbiati's no-hit bid in the bottom of the fourth on a single up the middle – her 15th hit of the spring.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- Galbiati improved to 7-1 with her five inning effort as she allowed just one hit, two walks and struck out two with 79 pitches in game one. MIT starter Ravenne Nasser (Methuen, Mass.) shouldered the loss in two innings of work allowing five runs (all earned), six hits, two walks to go along with two strikeouts. Junior Deanna Delgado (Miami, Fla.) came on in relief as she surrendered three runs (all earned), five hits and two walks over the final three frames.

- Tufts third baseman Jamie Stevens paced the Jumbos offense with a trio of RBI's, while at the top of the lineup Samantha Siciliano and Maggie Hoffman both registered two hits and a pair of runs scored in game one.

- MIT freshman Sierra Rosenzweig (Anchorage, Alaska) swiped her tenth base of the season in the fourth inning and is now 10-for-11 in stolen bases this spring.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Game Two:

- Much as they did in game one, the Jumbos used a four run inning – this time in the second – to put the game out of reach early. Stevens roped an RBI single to left for Tufts' first run and then drew a throw on a stolen base, which allowed Christian Cain to score from third. An MIT fielding error with two outs in the inning led to two more Tufts runs before the frame was over.

- After Tufts added one in the top of the third, MIT responded and got its first run across the plate of the day in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, senior Monica Shifflet (Poway, Calif.) and junior Jasmin Joseph (Woodland Hills, Calif.) notched back to back singles to give the Engineers a chance to break up the shutout. In the next at-bat, Natalie Shifflet (Poway, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice allowing sister M. Shifflet to move to third. During Michelle Wist's (Cypress, Texas) at-bat, the Shifflet's attempted a double steal as M. Shifflet crossed the plate for MIT's first run.

- Trailing 7-1 in the bottom of the sixth, MIT tried to rally and extend the game as they scored twice on three hits before Tufts starter Gillian O'Connor worked her way out of the jam. N. Shifflet began things with a walk and was followed by Wist and Von Ahn, who both notched infield singles to load the bases. Pinch hitter Kim Veldee (Kirkland, Wash.) came to the plate and quickly drove in Wist and Rosenzweig, who came on to run for N. Shifflet. With two runs across the plate, O'Connor got three straight outs to end the scoring chance for the Engineers as Tufts claimed the 7-3 game two win and the two-game sweep of MIT.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- O'Connor moved to 6-3 this spring for Tufts as she allowed three runs (all earned), six hits, three walks and struck out one in a complete game effort, while MIT sophomore Amber VanHemel (Coconut Creek, Fla.) fell to 5-1 as she yielded seven runs (five earned), eight hits, four walks and one strikeout in seven innings in the circle for the Engineers.

- Joseph was 2-for-4 as MIT's leadoff hitter in game two, while Veldee provided the offense with her two-run single in the sixth. N. Shifflet, M. Shifflet and senior Helen Rosenthal (Bethesda, Md.) all stole one base in the nightcap for the Engineers.

UP NEXT:

- Both teams return to the field on Friday on the road. MIT (20-6) heads to WPI for a NEWMAC doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. in Worcester, while Tufts (16-11) travels to Bowdoin College for the start of a three game set starting at 4:00 p.m.